The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1887-09-24
THE DEADLY CIGARETTE.
The Latest Victim Of the Psrnieious Little
PAper-Covered Tube.

The DEADLY CIGARETTE.
The Latest Victim Of the Psrnieious Llttls
Papsr-Covered Tube.
OF all tho forms of using tobacco the
small paper-covered tube known as the
cigarette is the most deadly. There
are many reasons for this. In the first
place the cigarette smoker has no as
surance that the tobacco is any thing
more than rubbish which can not be
used in any other manner. Secondly,
the paper is well known to be exceed
ingly poisonous; not more SO than gen.
uine tobacco, probably. but there is .
wild hilarity which follows the smoking
of paper that speedily breaks down the
strongest nervous system. Thirdly.
the cigarette is an insidious evil. It is
so mild, and SO handy. and 50 cheap.
that the unfortunate smoker uses many
more Of them than he has any idea of.
The other 997 reasons need not be given
here, as they have been at various times
discussed in the public press. and 90
great has been the influence of these
exposures that cigarette smoking has
increased over 500 per cent. during the
last four years. Yet there are people
who scoff at the power of the press! It
is only necessary to show conclusively
that a certain thing is very harmful,
in order to get thousands of people to
test the question for their own satisfac-
ton.
The recent case of Mr.. John w. Steb-
oins. of Wyoming. will do much to open
the eyes Of the users of the vile weed IN
its vilest form. 1t will pain many good
people to know that the cigarette has
insinua.ed itself into the rural simplici-
~ of Wyoming. Hitherto the inhab-
itants of that Territory have been
guileless pastoral people who occa-
sionally INDUCED in scalping. cattle
raids and bad whisky. enlivened by
murder now and then, but never has
their worst enemy charged them with
smoking cigarettes. Now, alas, all
this is changed. It is no uncommon
sight to see gang of cowboys peacea-
bly, returning to camp after sacking .
village, each with a cigarette in his
mouth. True, some of the most noble
Of the cowboys stood out against the
growth of this habit and shot few Of
the smokers, but although this method
of argument seemed to be conclusive in
individual cases yet matters of policy
prevented its universal adoption So
in spite of the best intentions on the
part of the opponents of the
vice it continued to spread
among the unsophisticated people
Of the plains. Stebbins fell an
easy victim to the cigarette and smoked
necessarily. The effect of the habit ON
him was not noticed until one day he
| fired at a tenderfoot from the East. three
times in succession and missed him ev-
cry time. This alarmed his friends and
they besought him with tears in their
eyes TO abandon habit that was doing
so much to undermine his usefulness
and influence on the plains. Stebbins
himself felt rather shaken and consulted
physician, who told him that if he did
not give up cigarette smoking he would
not live six months. Stebbins agreed
to'quit-next week. This is q peculiarly
of the cigarette smokers. They are al
ways going to quit some time in the
future. That night there was social
card party in the shanty. Stebbins sat
on the powder keg. He let cigarette
stump fall on the key. The party in
stantly broke up. Stebbins and part
of the key were last seen going through
the roof. As neither have yet come
down serious fears are beginning to be
entertained on that ranch that some
thing has happened to Stebbins. Thus
it is that the DOCTORS most sanguine ex-
pectations have been realized and the
name of John Warrington Stebbins has
been added to the already long list Of
the victims of the deadly cigarette.
Detroit Free Press.
Sovan Dare Buffalo Hssrsns